[ibarw]"What is this symmetry you speak of?"

[eumelia]

Last year I only read entries that were written as part of ibarw and didn't participate in debate, meta-reading or discussion.
Mainly because I didn't feel I had much to add.

Re-reading some of the entries from last year and trying to sponge some inspiration I've come to the conclusion that I didn't feel I have much to add, nor do I feel I have much to add to anti-racist discourse, is because I'm a member of an Oppressing and Occupying population and class.

It is common in certain types of papers to establish the various identities of the author so that one reading may know through what prism they are going to receiving this information.
On the interwebs I've seen this being called unloading the privilege knapsack.
Here goes: I am White, Upwardly Mobile and Cisgendered*.

Those three identifiers place me smack in the middle of the Oppressing population and class. The fact that I am Feminist, Queer and a Woman do little to negate those big three.

I hear in my head the voices of my family telling me that I'm not "just White".
I'm Jewish too.
Meaning that my "White" is of the Eastern-European variety, Litvak** to be precise. Or just plain Ashkenaz - which means Germany. Yes it is complicated.
More than that.
I'm a Jewish Israeli.
Meaning that my White Ashkenazi Peachy Ass is a member of an Occupying population and class.
If you don't know which People, "My" People are Occupying - please educate yourself.

As a Jewish Israeli, being born and living in Israel my whole life (up to and including now) I have never experienced racism or Antisemitism of any kind. I've never been called "Jewish-[slur]" in my life. I've heard the word "Kyke" in theoretical discussion only.

Despite being a member of an international minority (one wouldn't guess that Jews make up only 0.2% of the world's population), I have lived my entire life as a majority population.
What could I possibly add to anti-racist discourse besides to shut up, listen/read and learn.

Which is what I've been doing for the past two years, which was when I began unpacking my invisible knapsack.

A year ago I was too shy to write anything on this subject, because I had it in my mind that by bringing up race and ethnicity one would be looked at as being gauche.
*Shhhhhh* "Don't mention race! It's rude"

Now that silence suffocates me.

And I've had it up to fucking *here* with the education system hijacking the Holocaust and making it about how we, the Jews, transformed from the Untermensch, to the Ubermensch.
That now that Jews have a "Homeland" we are now safe from another genocide. While at the same time ethnically cleansing (and there really isn't any other term for what we're doing in the Occupied Territories) another people. I mean, you could say that everything being done there is for security and everything bad that happens is happening because they're resisting all the Good Things in the Territories - like Universities! Which in order to actually study at those oh so privileged institutes of knowledge students need to cross at least one check-point barrier.
These are Palestinians, by the way, in case one didn't realise.

But let's not talk about what goes on to people who aren't citizens of anywhere.

Non-Jews have it good in Israel. They have the right to study wherever they want, live wherever they want, date whoever they want - marriage... weeeeeel, that's a bit of an issue, see in these here parts a Jew can only marry a Jew, a Muslim can only marry a Muslim and a Christian can only marry Christian.
By the way, the fact that non-Jews, and I'm talking Arabs, Beduins, Druze and others which I hope will forgive me for not mentioning, have the right to do everything I've mentioned doesn't mean it happens.
Jewish landlords don't like renting to Arabs.
You never know what terrorist cell or explosives lab they may start in that nice one bedroom shit-hole.

Racism isn't racially prejudicial law, it is also, but laws can be changed and re-interpreted much more easily that in it is to change to attitude of dehumanization that goes on in my country.
Racism is seeing a hijab and thinking "poor girl".
Racism is hearing Arabic being spoken and thinking "what are they planning?"
Racism is thinking "Honour Killings" are an "internal" "tribal" thing.
Racism is graffiti in Hebrew saying "!ערבים החוצה"-"Arabs Out!" (does nobody think "Juden Raus!"="Jews Out!").

I can hear it now. The counter and reactionary arguments. "Aren't you being one-sided?", "What about some symmetry?".
I can't be one-sided. I'm Israeli, everything I look at is coloured by where I stand.
And what is this symmetry you speak of?
Please, I would like to know what "the balanced" picture of a country occupying people looks like.
Enlighten me, educate me, I want to know.

But don't you fucking dare tell me to shut up.

More to come, time and studies permitting.

Notes
*Someone whose gender identity has only ever been experienced as physically and mentally aligned, that is to say, not transgendered.

**Mainly Lithuanian, Latvian, Ukrainian and other Slavik Jews that aren't Russian, Polish and Romanian (I don't know what makes the distinction, only that it exists).

Comments

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

What do you call it when Jews are attacked because they are Jews?

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

This has what to do with the way Israel behaves?

I'm not dismissing what you say, but you kind of locked onto the least important issue of my entry. IMO.

And in any event weren't we attacked because we're US allies and they were trying to distract US forces from what they were doing. It sucks to be us in that event, but isn't what enemies do?

Isn't it interesting that the country purporting to be the safest place in the world for Jews, in fact isn't.

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

Your post started out saying how privileged you are and then you went off to say how racist your country is. The pivot/changeover of your post is where you said that you have never experienced racism. I posit that you have. It just doesn't fit your narrative, nor that of many other Israelies, so you ignore it.

You see Israel as a bully, a regional superpower who, externally, runs roughshod over weaker neighbours (Palestinians) and abuses the "other" internally.

The people who are writing "Arabs out" and suspect every Arab of being a potential terrorist see Israel as surrounded by "a ocean of enemies" who want to "throw the Jews into the sea". Where you see malicious behaviour, I see fearful behaviour.

I am not supporting racism, I am not saying that Israel has no racist elements in it, I will never accept "Honour" killing as anything but the heinous, rancorous act that it is.

What I am saying is that in an otherwise enlightened post, you are wearing blinkers which are preventing you from being a fuller part of the solution. If people are scared and that leads them to racism, you cannot just say "Stop, What you do is Wrong" and expect them to change.

You are, of course, part of the solution already, and that is a Good Thing(tm)

:)

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

First of all, almost everyone has experienced some kind of racial prejudice, but racial prejudice does not make racism, at least not the kind I'm talking about in my entry.

Actions are what matter, the motivation is less than relevant, because as you say I cannot change what people are, but behaviour can change. Mr. Aristotales himself said that to be good, one must do good, no? (or am I confusing him with Socrates... correct me if I'm wrong).

I don't think I'm wearing blinkers (obviously, haha). The kind of Antisemitism you speak about is no different, in my mind, from the Racism that goes on here, it is based on a screwy social and political situation and trickles down into interaction - Jews have the disadvantage of being persecuted since their conception and have a history which is used by modern Arab/Muslim nations.
Because historically, Jews has it better in Muslim nations than in Christian ones and the persecution of Jews in Muslim nations began with de-colonization which is pretty much the time when all social/political/minorities in each new country and nation were being persecuted.

You are a Good Thing(tm) too *hugsies*

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Because historically, Jews has it better in Muslim nations than in Christian ones and the persecution of Jews in Muslim nations began with de-colonization which is pretty much the time when all social/political/minorities in each new country and nation were being persecuted.
The fact that the Jews had it better in Muslim nations than in Christian ones through History didn't mean that they had it good. They were also occasionally persecuted in Muslim nations, including before the colonisation or even during the colonisation (with all the complexities of dynamics that the latter entailed).

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

A bit late in the conversation but this sentence: Where you see malicious behaviour, I see fearful behaviour.

I remind you of the wisdom of a... well, person, we both admire greatly:

"Fear leads to Anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate leads to the Dark Side".

Despite the various cookies to be found on That Side, what the Master says is relevant.

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

And would He tell you to deal with the Anger or the Fear?

:)

Strong with the Force my Argument is.

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

Also, how can you say you never experienced Anti-semitism and in the next breath say that Israel is not a safe country for Jews?

If A is true, then B cannot be true...

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I dunno about you, but I've felt more personally unsafe walking in the street not because I'm Jewish, but because I'm a woman.

It is a safe country for Jews because with a Jewish state there can never be another genocide of the proportions that we had in our history, that is what is usually meant by "safe", it's because we are, as it is often proclaimed, we are surrounded by enemies, which has less to do with being Jewish and more to do with colonialism, IMO.

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

Now you're trying to have your cake and eat it too...

You just said a comment ago that Israel is safe/unsafe for Jews.

Your last comment may be true and it may be untrue. That is irrelevant for it does nothing towards understanding WHY there is racism in Israel.

Please explain how Israeli colonialism is responsible for Iran's, Malaysia's and Pakistan's behaviour towards Israel.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

It's called paradox for a reason, ya know.
I'm sorry, I thought it was obvious that I was being ironic. Apologies for the mis-communication.

Let's put it this way, until the moral panic from "neo-Nazi gangs" there was barely any news about swastikas on shuls and cemeteries and if there was it was/is dealt swiftly by authorities... There's no moral outrage at "Arabs Out", which is equally bad, in my book.

Seeing as Iran views Israel as Amercia's stronghold and is using Antisemitic language to make it's case, well sucks for us, maybe if the US stopped rattling its sabers in the Gulf and all that Iran wouldn't feel the need to say "Point, Shoot and Kill the Jews". Also if the Hawks here don't bloody well cool it, it will happen!

Malaysia? Indonesia, you mean, yes? As for Pakistan, aren't they dealing with their own crisis against India about Kashmir?

And in any event, are they what people talk about when they mention that we're surrounded by enemies? As far as I can remember we were talking about מדינות ערב which for some reason included Iran.
If I'm incorrect please direct me towards resources that will teach me extra :)

And I'll ask again? The behaviour of other Racist countries has what to do with Israel's own Racist behaviour, other than establishing a trend and a reactionary look?

[hemlock-sholes.livejournal.com]

First,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_League_boycott_of_Israel#Passport_Restrictions

As for Iran, are you saying that if the USA and the UN allow Iran to build nuclear weapons then Iran would suddenly stop saying that it wants to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth? How far are you willing to go with that... assumption?

RE: Behaviour of Others:
You talk about "cause and effect". You say that the Other's response towards Israel's behaviour and therefore it is, perhaps, a "lesser evil". Have you perhaps considered that the "cause and effect" are backward? And if the Others behave better towards Israel then Israel will become a less racist country?

Lastly,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_one%27s_cake_and_eat_it_too

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I'm saying that if the US and Israel try and actually communicate with Iran instead of talk at the government maybe some thing else can be done.
I'm sure somewhere there are secret meetings and all that stuff the media and therefore, us the little people that will actually be affected by nuclear war-fare are being carried out, but how are we to know.

I'd settle for Israel actually following its declaration of Independence in which it is stated there will be no discrimination due to sex, religion, race and ethnicity.
How, exactly, is Israel supposed to "behave" better, when it doesn't even bother to comply to International law? How are we, then, any better than the various dictatorships that have existed? Because our system is Parliamentary and done by free votes? The system of governing, doesn't a Democracy make, brother.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

On a lighter note: where does that saying come from?
Surely when you have a cake, the point is eating it!

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

yes, but once it's eaten you don't have it anymore.